Monday, March 19, 2018

*This podcast originally aired on March 28th 2013, and is part of our Retro Rewind initiative to publish our back catalog of episodes for our listeners!In this week’s edition of The Confirmed Epic Podcast we review Antoine Fuqua's latest film Olympus Has Fallen. We also cover the EPIC new items of the week: HBO Go for every one, 1966 Adam West digital Batman comics, and Independence Day sequels. We also get into what we have been checking out this week: GI Joe Retaliation figures, Grant Morrison's Batman Incorporated Volume 1, Prometheus on Blu-ray, and The Evil Dead trilogy.

Let us know what you thought about the podcast in the comments below or follow and tweet us @thereelbradbell Don't forget to follow us on Instagram @theconfirmedepicpodcastCheckout Jerry's Action Figure reviews hot and fresh daily over at actionfigurebarbecue.comSupport the podcast with some our Confirmed Epic Podcast merch. found at teepublic.com/user/thereelbradbellPlease remember to rate, review, and subscribe to us on iTunes just search for: The Confirmed Epic PodcastYou can always email any questions, comments, and concerns about the show to thepicreview@gmail.com

Sunday, March 18, 2018

Today I'm checking out a Star Wars figure that I've been waiting over two years to get: Rey in her Resistance Outfit. Hasbro is calling this one Rey (Island Journey) rather than Rey (Resistance Outfit) like the 1/18th scale The Force Awakens figure as she does have elements of her appearance in The Last Jedi such as her oversized cloak but, make no mistake, this is the Rey from the end of The Force Awakens that delivers Luke Skywalker his lightsaber on the mysterious Ahch-To. Groovy! As a 2018 new release Rey takes advantage of the face printing technology that Hasbro has been using on some of their Marvel Legends figures. That means you're getting the most realistic Daisy Ridley likeness you are going to find in this scale! Let's check out this cool new version of Rey after the break...

Saturday, March 17, 2018

For four Saturdays in March I'm going to be covering a Star Wars toy that features Han Solo to help get us all collectively pumped for the release of Solo: A Star Wars Story. Since I'm such a huge fan of Micro Machines I've decided to review some sets that feature Han Solo in some of the Original Trilogy's greatest scenes. Last week I looked at the C-3PO/ Cantina Transforming Playset that featured Han Solo's iconic encounter with Greedo. Today I'm checking out the Micro Machines Ice Planet Hoth playset that was part of the first series of playsets releases in 1994 (Galoob rereleased the exact same set in different packaging in 1997, too). This is another of my original childhood sets so if you see some rough spots, just remember that this playset survived multiple moves and has been one of those things that has always been on display in my home in some fashion. Let's check it out after the break...

Friday, March 16, 2018

I've had him for a couple of weeks now but I'm finally getting around to reviewing my first 2018 One:12 Collective release (Deathstroke was technically a 2017 release): Knightmare Batman. Despite your feelings on the film overall, I think most of us can agree that Batman V. Superman: Dawn of Justice had some excellent costume designs. One of my favorites from the film is the "Knightmare" Batman costume that Batman sports during his post-apocalyptic nightmare of a world where Darkseid and the minions of Apokolips have invaded and Superman rules the Earth. It's different than what we typically see from Batman, offering up something that is quite new and different than nearly anything we've seen before. Mezco started showing this figure at conventions but cancelled it early last year for some reason. Due to collector backlash, however, Mezco offered it as their own website exclusive and the figure sold our pretty quickly. Now that he has shipped the demand has skyrocketed and the figure is selling for quite a bit above the original retail price. Is the Knightmare Batman worth picking up, though? Find out after the break...

In order to prepare for Avengers Infinity War out April 27th 2018 join Jerry "Barbecue17" Reed and The Reel Brad Bell as The Confirmed Epic Podcast assembles to revisit the all time superhero classic: Joss Whedon's Avengers from 2012.We also get into what we have been checking out (Mother Panic, X-men Mojo Worldwide) as well as discuss the epic news items of the week (DC Comics Black imprint announcement, Jon Favreau being announced as the live action Star Wars TV show runner, and Toy R' Us closing).

Let us know what you thought about the podcast in the comments below or follow and tweet us @thereelbradbell

Thursday, March 15, 2018

It has been a few weeks but I've finally reviewed all of the newest series of DC Comics Multiverse figures and have assembled the Collect & Connect figure: Clayface! Befitting Basil Karlo's roots as an actor, Clayface has had a starring role in the DC Rebirth Detective Comics series as part of the team Batman has assembled to protect Gotham. Detective Comics is easily one of the strongest books in DC Rebirth (easily in the top 5) which is actually very high praise as the majority of titles in Rebirth have been fantastic. While I definitely want Mattel to release some classic 1980s DC characters to fill in rosters in DC Universe Classics (Outsiders Katana, Geo-Force, and Halo would be great additions) I do like that Mattel seems to be focusing on current characters from the comics.Now that DC Collectibles seems largely uninterested in releasing anything current other than the same dozen characters or so, Mattel is offering up a pretty impressive character selection while also improving their product. They also seem to be focusing on some level of team building and it looks like they're working on adding to team Detective Comics, the Justice Legaue, and the Justice League of America currently. Clayface is an excellent choice for a build-a-figure, so let's check him out after the break...

Tuesday, March 13, 2018

Here's the fourth of the Star Wars: Micro Force microfigures I picked up a couple of weeks ago: The TIE Fighter Pilot Elite. This elite pilot of the First Order has a pretty snazzy costume and just looks pretty cool. I've reviewed the Black Series version of the TIE Fighter Pilot (along with the massive Special Forces TIE Fighter he was packaged with) so now we're going with something in a much smaller scale. This is another one of the brand new sculpts from Series 2, so let's check him out after the break...

Monday, March 12, 2018

*This podcast originally aired on March 21st 2013, and is part of our Retro Rewind initiative to publish our back catalog of episodes for our listeners!In this installment of The Confirmed Epic Podcast we review Steve Carell and Jim Carrey’s magical comedy: The Incredible Burt Wonderstone. In this week’s epic news section we discuss new horror films in the works at Sony based on R.L. Stine’s popular Goosebumps kids book series from the 90’s, as well as MGM and Paramount’s decision to move forward with a sequel to Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters.

We also delve into what we have been checking out this week: The King He-man and Fang Man Masters of the Universe Classics action figures, BioShock Infinite hype, OMFG series 3, Hot Toy’s Bane, Marvel Select’s Magneto, and the very first "From here to hero-con" cosplay teaser word of the week.

Let us know what you thought about the podcast in the comments below or follow and tweet us @thereelbradbell

It has been awhile since Mattel last released a Two-Face figure but we finally have a new, updated one as part of the DC Comics Multiverse line. Lately, Two-Face's biggest role in DC Comics was in the first story arc in Scott Snyder's now discontinued All-Star Batman (which has nothing to with the the absolutely bonkers Frank Miller/ Jim Lee All-Star Batman). Based on the artwork of John Romita Jr, this version of Two-Face sports a snazzy red and black outfit and a red-scarred face that definitely makes me think of Tommy Lee Jones' sometimes great/ often times terrible portrayal of Harvey Dent in Batman Forever. I've already reviewed the other four figures in this series (links are at the end of the review) so Two-Face wraps this series up. Well, other than the Clayface Collect & Connect figure which I'll definitely be reviewing. Let's check out this quite current update of Harvey Dent, AKA Two-Face, after the break...

Sunday, March 11, 2018

How about another quick, simple review of one of a Star Wars: Micro Force minifigure? Obi-Wan Kenobi is another figure I picked up from a pack of the Series 2 blind bags and, like Emperor Palpatine, he is a reissue of one of the older Fighter Pods figures. It's nice to see Obi-Wan in here as there definitely seems to be a real lack of Prequels based product lately. I love Ewan McGregor's Obi-Wan and I definitely am holding out hope that he'll get a Star Wars Story film at some point. That could be exceptional, couldn't it? Let's check out this mini Obi-Wan after the break...

Saturday, March 10, 2018

While the release of Solo: A Star Wars Story is still a couple of months away, I've been wanting to do a series of reviews on some cool Han Solo themed merchandise from my collection. Since one of my absolute favorite Star Wars toylines of all time is Galoob's Micro Machines line I figured I would start out with a review of the C-3PO/ Cantin Transforming Action Set from 1994. Transforming from a bust of the beloved golden protocol droid into a playset of the Mos Eisley Cantina, this set features the place where the audience is introduced to Han Solo. Plus, it features a pretty fun way to reenact Han Solo's infamous encounter with Greedo. When I think of Han Solo, I think of him chilling out in Chalmun's Cantina, so this is the first review in this March 2018 miniseries dedicated to Han Solo. This is my original childhood set and while it was released in 1994 I picked it up sometime during the Fall of 1995 when I was just getting into Star Wars. I still love it and it has been a persistent part of my collection for nearly 23 years now. Let's take a look at it after the break...

Friday, March 9, 2018

Slowly but surely I'm making my way through the newest series of DC Comics Multiverse figures and today I'm looking at Mattel's DC Rebirth version of the Man of Steel himself, Superman! While the Rebirth version of Batman was released last year (with Wonder Woman coming sometime later this year), Mattel is offering up a Rebirth Superman as the "anchor" figure for the Clayface series. Mattel is really focusing on offering up current looks for characters which is probably a smart move. Of course, my favorite era in DC Comics overall is the 1970s to mid 1980s so I do hope we'll get some more of those characters sprinkled in the line to help complete various rosters from DC Universe Classics. I will admit that Superman was my second least anticipated figure in this series (behind Martian Manhunter, who turned out to be a pretty nice figure) and while he definitely has some improvements over previous figures, not too much has changed. Let's check out the Rebirth version of Superman after the break...

Thursday, March 8, 2018

*At 1 hour and 25 Minutes into the podcast the The Reel Brad Bell had a mic cord malfunction that made his audio a bit distorted, we apologize for the technical difficulties, and any inconvenience they may have on your listening experience! - The Epic ReviewPoor yourself a Slusho, and get ready to open up the mystery box in episode 87 of The Confirmed Epic Podcast Jerry "Barbecue17" Reed and The Reel Brad Bell welcome back their original co-host: AKA Andrew Stokes to review Netflix's Cloverfield Paradox.We also get into what we have been checking out (Marvel Legends Black Panther Wave, Venom Blood In The Water Graphic Novel) as well as discuss the epic news items of the week (Avengers Infinity War's release date moving up till April 27th, Matthew Vaughn's Silver Surfer movie, The Christopher Robin Trailer, and JJ Abrams scrapped Star Wars Episode 8 script).

Let us know what you thought about the podcast in the comments below or follow and tweet us @thereelbradbell

Guess what I'm checking out today? Am actual new sculpt from the Star Wars: Micro Force line by Hasbro! While series 1 of the Star Wars: Micro Force line simply reused figures from the older Fighter Pods line Series 2 introduces new sculpts from the newer Star Wars films. Today I'm checking out Finn, AKA FN-2187, in his First Order Stormtrooper gear. While Finn didn't wear his outfit long in The Force Awakens he certainly wore it during some character defining scenes. Let's take a quick look at this minifigure Finn after the break...

Wednesday, March 7, 2018

Today I'm checking out Martian Manhunter, the 3rd figure in the Clayface series of DC Comics Multiverse action figures from Mattel. Based on the characters appearance in the Supergirl TV series (where he is played by David Harewood), this version of J'onn J'onzz is the sole non-comic figure in this series. The television based figures have gone back and forth, either having been some of the more difficult figures to find or some of the biggest peg warmers. With Mattel's distribution for the Rookie series, the Justice League series, and this series seemingly being so bad, though, it's doubtful that any of these figures could be called peg warmers. It has been nearly a decade since Mattel last released a Martian Manhunter figure (the DCUC series 15 versions in 2010) so I'm sure collectors are eager to pick up the character again. Let's take a look at this very cool TV version of the Martian Manhunter after the break...

Tuesday, March 6, 2018

While I was out picking up a birthday present for my good friend and Confirmed Epic Podcast co-host the Reel Brad last weekend I stumbled upon series 2 of Hasbro's Star Wars: Micro Force line. I couldn't resist grabbing two packs of these little guys. While the first series contained all reused sculpts from the Fighter Pods line, series 2 features eight new sculpts out of the twelve total characters. Emperor Palpatine was in the first bag I pulled and while he is a reused sculpt, I never owned any of those figures so he's new to me. He's also very, very cool. This is a very slick looking toy that captures the Emperor's haunting visage perfectly in a somewhat deformed style. Let's take a quick look at this teeny, tiny Emperor Sheev Palpatine, AKA Darth Sidious, after the break...

Today I'm looking at the fourth set, Pack D, of the Robotech M.U.S.C.L.E.s from Super7. This turned out to be a pretty good series of minifigures that captured the M.U.S.C.L.E. look and feel pretty well while still remaining faithful to the Robotech designs. Pack D includes three minifigures: A Zentraedi Soldier, a VF-1S Super (Super Valkyrie), and a Tomahawk. Let's jump right in and take a gander at these slick little figures, shall we?

Monday, March 5, 2018

*This podcast originally aired on March 1st 2013, and is part of our Retro Rewind initiative to publish our back catalog of episodes for our listeners!In this weeks edition of The Confirmed Epic Podcast we review Sam Raimi and Disney’s Wizard of Oz prequel/origin story: Oz the Great and Powerful. We also review the brand new horror anthology film: The ABC’s of Death. During the Epic news section of the podcast we discuss: Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo’s upcoming New 52 Batman origin story Batman Zero Year, Jackie Chan’s possible involvement in The Expendables 3, Jurassic Park 4, and Army of Darkness 2. We also delve into what we have been checking out this week: The Game of Thrones season 2 blu-ray set, Fantastic Plastic Toys upcoming Mystical Warriors of the Ring toy line, Hot Toys Avengers Captain America and Spiderman 3 symbiote Spiderman, AMC’s Comic Book Men Gary Con-over Con, and DC’s Injustice Gods Among Us figures.

Let us know what you thought about the podcast in the comments below or follow and tweet us @thereelbradbell You can buy our Merch. and support the show by going to teepublic.com/user/thereelbradbellDon't forget to follow us on Instagram @confirmedepicpodcast

It has been a little over eight months since I last reviewed a WWE figure but something finally grabbed my attention enough again to scoop up another: Asuka as the Phantom from the new WWE Monsters line. I proudly admit that while I'm a WWE fan, the only wrestling figures I pick up these days are Mattel's absolutely crazy WWE lines such as WWE Zombies and WWE Mutants. WWE Monsters is their newest endeavor and it features 6 WWE Superstars as various "classic" monsters. The series includes the Undertaker as the Vampire, Chris Jericho as the Mummy, Jake "The Snake" Roberts as the Creature, Brawn Strowman as Frankenstein, Roman Reigns as the Werewolf, and Asuka as the Phantom. Called the Phantomess of Tomorrow (a play on her title as the Empress of Tomorrow), Asuka mixes together elements of the masked look of the Phantom of the Opera with elements of an Oni from Japanese folklore. It's a great look and easily makes for the coolest figure in this series. I'm a huge Asuka fan and this was a cool way to get an action figure of her to hang out alongside of the WWE Zombies, Mutants, and Wyatt Family collection I have. Let's check out Asuka as the Phantom after the break...

Sunday, March 4, 2018

I'm slowly making my way through all of the new M.U.S.C.L.E. sets Super7 has dropped over the past month or two. I'm thrilled to get so many new M.U.S.C.L.E. figures at once, particularly with how much the quality has really jumped up with the new releases. Today I'm checking out Pack C from Robotech with features the VF-1S, a Veritech Fighter in Guardian mode, and Lynn Minmei. Each of the four packs for this series includes three vehicles/ mechs/ ships and one standard figure, so you get a nice mixture of little minifigures. Let's take a quick peek at this trifecta of mechanized minifigures after the break...

Saturday, March 3, 2018

Today I'm wrapping up my end of the year lists for 2017 with a look at the ten best 2017 releases from one of my favorite lines: Star Wars: The Black Series. I've been a Star Wars fan for a long time and I have collected many different Star Wars lines during many different eras. I find the Black Series to simultaneously be one of the most exciting Star Wars lines I've ever collected along with also being one of the most frustrating. I love the 6 inch scale of the line, the articulation scheme, and the overall aesthetic of the sculpt but the distribution, number of exclusives, and character selection can definitely make trying to track down figures a chore and sometimes leave me feeling a bit aggravated. 2017 was another good year for the line with some excellent new figures and, in order to start with the positives, I'm going to show off my top ten. Let's start with #10 after the break...

Friday, March 2, 2018

In the 86th edition of the Confirmed Epic Podcast Jerry "Barbecue17" Reed and The Reel Brad Bell are joined by The Mother of Beagles AKA Abby Bell to review one of the biggest film's of 2018: Ryan Coogler's Black Panther.We also get into what we have been checking out (Avengers & Champions World Collide graphic novel, DC's Legends Graphic Novel, and Mattel DC Universe Classics Clayface Wave) as well as discuss the epic news items of the week (Netflix's Lost in Space Trailer, Joss Whedon leaving WB's Batgirl film, Mondo;s Batman the Animated Series 1/6 scale figure reveal, Kotobukiya's Gotham by Gaslight Statue reveal, DC launching it's own previews magazine, the newly announced Immortal Hulk series by Al Ewing, and Diamond's new online comics order service).

Let us know what you thought about the podcast in the comments below or follow and tweet us @thereelbradbell

Thursday, March 1, 2018

Let me let you in on a Christmas Eve tradition at my house: We watch "Merry Christmas, Mr. Bean." A few times. Probably once before or during dinner and at least once afterwards. We also watch it throughout the Christmas season. And after. We watch all of the other episodes too. Often, I might add. I've been a fan of Mr. Bean since at least the late 90s and when my wife bought me the Whole Bean DVD collection for Christmas in 2005 it has become an enduring tradition in our house, My daughter loves it, too, so now we watch episodes of the show even more. Rowan Atkinson is truly one of the most gifted physical comedians of all time (probably my favorite) and as soon as I knew that Mr. Bean was showing up as a POP! vinyl I preordered him. I'm so excited to finally have my own little Mr. Bean running around (complete with Teddy, I might add). Let's check out this very cool POP! vinyl after the break...

I just reviewed Pack A of the red The Worst M.U.S.C.L.E. figures and now it's time to check out Pack B. Featuring the evil snake mummy Snake Tut, the undead savage skeletal warrior Black Falcon, and the mysterious and menacing X-2 (The Unknown), Pack B features some pretty cool character designs based on Super7's The Worst line of Kenner styled action figures. I'd really love to see Super7 release a new batch of characters in this line as it has been of my favorite new intellectual properties in quite a few years. There is just something to be said about a super-villain team of the worst of the worst, you know? Let's check out these special Valentine's Day red minifigures after the break...

Wednesday, February 28, 2018

The winners of the 2017 Poppies have been revealed over at MWCToys.com and, as you probably know, your old pal Barbecue17 is one of the judges. Check out the results and see how we voted! Agree? Disagree? Want to fight about it? Leave a comment below!

I'm slowly making my way through the Clayface series of Mattel's DC Comics Multiverse line and I'm excited to finally be checking out one of the newest additions to the Justice League roster: Green Lantern Jessica Cruz! Jessica Cruz is a relatively new character to the DC Universe, first appearing in 2014, but she has quickly made her way to membership on the main Justice League team as one of the eight members of the initial Rebirth era team. DC Collectibles had plans to introduce Jessica Cruz into their DC Icons line but it sounds like there may have been some behind the scenes conflict between DC Collectibles and Mattel over licensing issues since Mattel was also planing a Jessica Cruz figure. While DC Collectibles did not get the opportunity to release Cruz, Mattel's version is now available for purchase. Let's see how they did after the break...

Tuesday, February 27, 2018

Since I reviewed Pack A from Super7's Robotech M.U.S.C.L.E. line I have actually started watching some episodes of Robotech on Netflix. I'm two episodes in so far and I'm definitely digging it. It's nice to get some more context for these little guys besides vague memories of the Matchbox toyline of the 80s and Toonami reruns. Overall I'm quite happy with this series of figures as the color is definitely fairly M.U.S.C.L.E.ish, the plastic is decent (still a bit too rubbery compared to vintage M.U.S.C.L.E.), and the sculpts are quite crisp. Plus, even if you don't know who these characters are you can still always have fun with robots and mechs. Let's take a look at Pack B (which contains Roy Fokker, a VF-1J, and the SDF-1) after the break...

Monday, February 26, 2018

*This podcast originally aired on February 21st 2013, and is part of our Retro Rewind initiative to publish our back catalog of episodes for our listeners!In this week's edition of The Confirmed Epic Podcast we review the 5th installment in the Diehard Franchise: A Good Day to Diehard directed by John Moore.As always we get into the epic news items of the week: Star Wars Episode 7 speculation, Guardians of the Galaxy casting rumors, and Sony finally revealing the PS4.We also get into what we have been checking out: The Lethal Weapon film franchise, Marvel Now Uncanny X-men #1, Lego mystery figures, AMC's Comic Book men season 2 premiere, and Jerry's descent into Bronie madness.

Let us know what you thought about the podcast in the comments below or follow and tweet us @thereelbradbell You can buy our Merch. and support the show by going to teepublic.com/user/thereelbradbellDon't forget to follow us on Instagram @confirmedepicpodcast

Sunday, February 25, 2018

After looking at both the newest series of figures from Star Wars: The Black Series and the Toy Fair 2018 reveals it is clear that Hasbro has really upped their game. While Hasbro has had some real difficulties with the Star Wars license over the past few years they seem to be back on track: The Vintage Collection is returning, they're offering up a crowd-funded vehicle/playset of Jabba the Hutt's sail barge (The Khetanna), and the Black Series offerings look better than ever thanks to the adoption of the new face-printing technology that the Marvel Legends line has been using for a year or so. DJ is part of a small series of figures which also includes Rey (Island Journey) and a revised version of the HasCon Captain Rex figure. So, what do you think about DJ? I think DJ (played by Benicio del Toro) is a fascinating character that was stuck into the fairly pointless Canto Bight storyline and thus didn't feel like he was of much consequence. As a slicer (the Star Wars version of a hacker), he seems like the kind of scoundrel that would typically be pretty popular with Star Wars fans but I honestly don't see much talk about DJ. Hopefully we'll see the character again in either Episode IX or a book, (he's currently in a comic, too) and get more of a chance to appreciate him. Let's check out the figure and see how it fairs after the break, shall we?

Saturday, February 24, 2018

As a DC fan I really do enjoy collecting Mattel's DC Comics Multiverse
line. I've been a fan of their DC efforts since the Batman and Superman
dominated DC Superheroes series (which predated DC Universe Classics)
and I've liked most of what they've produced in the 6-inch scale. This
is the second year I'm doing a top 10 (and bottom 5) for Multiverse, and
you can check out last year's entry here. I will admit that DC Comics
Multiverse was a mixed bag during its first year and the second year
might still be considered a mixed bag. Mattel has definitely given us a
fairly diverse selection of characters from comics, television, and
movies, along with offering quite a few Collect & Connect figures
and accessories. Their distribution is still a mixed bag, though, and the quality is uneven, particularly on movie lines;
while the Wonder Woman movie line was mostly solid the Justice League
line-up was pretty terrible. The articulation can be really uneven on
these, too. It's baffling that with Mattel spending the time and money
to give so many characters unique sculpts they don't at least try to
make sure that the articulation is decent and functional. The comic
based figures are much better and this definitely seems to be the area
where Mattel is improving the most. The early 2018 releases (which I just got in the mail on Thursday!) look good and feel like they would easily
all make the top 10 if compared against the 2017 lineup. Toy Fair
2018 left me cautiously optimistic as it seems like Mattel is
definitely releasing some solid characters with nice sculpts although
still not bumping up the articulation to modern standards. Let's take a moment to celebrate the good stuff from this line-up
in 2017, though starting with the top 10 figures of the year. Each entry is left with a quote from my original review, just FYI. The countdown begins after
the break...

On Valentine's Day Super7 released a few sets of red minifigures to celebrate. I've already reviewed the 3-pack of Iron Maiden M.U.S.C.L.E. figures and now I'm checking out Pack A of The Worst M.U.S.C.L.E. figures. I've already reviewed these same three figures cast in purple but now I get Batula, Robot Reaper, and the Gas Phantom cast in a lovely blood red. What a way to celebrate Valentine's Day, huh? This is going to be a pretty quick review as I've already talked about these guys extensively but I do have a few pictures of the figures and the packaging after the break...

Friday, February 23, 2018

For years Batwoman has been one of my most desired action figures in any DC line. While DC Direct released one in 2007 as part of the 52 line it definitely doesn't fit in well with any of Mattel's DC Universe lines. I really expected to see Batwoman appear in DC Collectibles' New 52 line as well but she never materialized even though she had a solo title and was a part of the Batman family (yes, we got the incredible Bombshells Batwoman, but that doesn't count). Finally, to coincide with Mattel now going full steam ahead in offering DC Rebirth designs in the DC Comics Multiverse line, we have a true modern Batwoman action figure. Upon reading Batwoman at the beginning of the New 52 relaunch (which really was a true continuation of her pre-New 52 series) Kate Kane became one of my favorite comic characters. She's definitely in my top 10 overall and I'd probably put her book as one of the three strongest and most consistent of the New 52 as well. Now Batwoman both her own series in Rebirth and is huge part of the Detective Comics crew so Mattel has wisely given us a figure of her in the newest series which features a Clayface Collect & Connect figure. My Clayface series just arrived in the mail yesterday and I'm anxious to dive in and start things off with a look at Batwoman...

In the 85th edition of the Confirmed Epic Podcast Jerry "Barbecue17" Reed and The Reel Brad Bell breakdown New York Toy Fair 2018, giving you their top picks from the show, and what to expect in collecting throughout 2018.As always we discuss the epic news items of the week (Batman Ninja Trailer, The Netflix Ryan Murphy Deal, Fangoria Magazine Returning, and the potential end of Paramount's Transformers Universe.)

Let us know what you thought about the podcast in the comments below or follow and tweet us @thereelbradbell

Thursday, February 22, 2018

Over the next week or two I will be taking some time to check out Super7's newest series of M.U.S.C.L.E. figures: Robotech. Be forewarned that my knowledge of Robotech is extremely limited and consists of my memories of the Matchbox toyline from 1985 (most of the figures were the same size as G.I. Joes and I ended up with quite a few of them because they were heavily discounted at some point) and my memories of Robotech being shown on Toonami when I was in high school. I definitely remember watching it, but certainly not every day which makes keeping up with a show like Robotech pretty tough. I'd love to give it a watch through but my guess is that you're not here to hear me muse about Robotech are you? Let's talk about the minifigures. The Robotech M.U.S.C.L.E.s are some of the best that Super7 has made. They're a bit more more rubbery than some of their best lines like Street Fighter II, The Worst, and Iron Maiden, but the sculpts are super crisp and probably as good as any other M.U.S.C.L.E.s except for Street Fighter II. The color is a bit brighter than your standard M.U.S.C.L.E. color but it
doesn't look bad and manages to avoid the waxy look of some of these
kind of lines. They're quite nice and since the line consists of so many mechs, robots, and fighting units, you should be able to enjoy them even if you have no knowledge of the series. Let's check out Pack A after the break...

Wednesday, February 21, 2018

Today I'm back with another review of the second 5-pack of DC Nano Metalfigs that is new for 2018. It's called Pack B and includes three new characters (Lobo, Darkseid, and Bizarro), a new Batman, and a repacked Braniac. Braniac was the one figure I didn't pick up from last year's releases because he was only available in a 20-pack and by the time I learned of its existence I already owned the other 19 figures in the set so, personally, I am really glad he's included here! While not as many news outlets covered Jada Toys at Toy Fair 2018 by looking around I've learned that Jada showed off a ton of new DC Nano Metalfigs including the Atom, Ra's al Ghul, Scarecrow, a Rebirth Batman, a Cesar Romero Joker, a repainted Killer Croc, armored Lex Luthor, a repainted Wonder Woman, a Black and White Harley Quinn, Bane, Deadshot, Batman Beyond, a Tim Drake Robin, General Zod, more Justice League film heroes, and some Teen Titans Go Metalfigs. I'm super excited for these and I hope they continue cranking them out as fast as they can! Anyways, let's talk about who we have in hand right now, shall we? Let's tear into Pack B after the break...

Tuesday, February 20, 2018

One of my favorite toylines of last year was Jada Toys DC Nano Metalfigs. Jada Toys is starting off the new year strong by already putting out some more cool little diecast metal DC heroes and villains. As a fan of DC Comics and minifigures, there is no way that I could ever pass up this series. Plus, they cost about a dollar each. That's a crazy deal! DC Nano Metalfigs has excellent character selection which makes picking up these little wonders just so much fun. This set has an incredible roster of characters including Batman (I'm pretty sure every multi-pack has Batman), Black Canary, Batgirl, Catwoman, and The Riddler. That's some A-list level star power right there. Let's check them out after the break...

Monday, February 19, 2018

One of the hallmarks of a cool toyline is that it manages to get you interested in characters you otherwise have no interest in. Super7's M.U.S.C.L.E. revival is doing a great job because I just purchased a pack of minifigures based on the band Iron Maiden's mascot Eddie despite not being an Iron Maiden fan at all. Seriously, the only song of theirs I think I can even recall is "The Trooper" and that's because of Rock Band or Guitar Hero. This pack of three minifigures was released on Valentine's Day 2018 and features three different versions of Eddie molded in heart red plastic. Whether you're a fan of the band or you just like minifigures of a zombie/ skeleton guy these are a pretty cool little pickup. Learn more after the break...

This podcast originally aired on February 7th 2013, and is part of our Retro Rewind initiative to publish our back catalog of episodes for our listeners!In the inaugural episode of the Confirmed Epic Podcast we review Bullet to the head starring Sly Stallone, and discuss our thoughts on the Epic News of the week such as: Phase 3 Marvel movie speculation, proposed Star Wars Spin off films in the works, and preview New York toy fair 2013. We also delve into what we have been checking out this week: Avengers #4, Superior Spider-man #2, Part 1 of The Dark Knight Returns animated film from DC, Ian Flemming James Bond novels, and the Theater by Raven Gregory, and Lego Valentines.Let us know what you thought about the podcast in the comments below or follow and tweet us @thereelbradbell You can buy our Merch. and support the show by going to teepublic.com/user/thereelbradbellDon't forget to follow us on Instagram @confirmedepicpodcast

Here's another quick review of a microfigure from Hasbro's current Star Wars: Micro Force line: R2-D2. Remember, these little guys are released two to a pack in a blind bag for around $3 and every figure in the first series is simply a reissue of the figures from the older Fighter Pods figures. R2-D2 is one of the easiest figures to identify in the bag due to his unique size and shape. While there are lots of new, exciting Star Wars items that Hasbro and other companies have been showing off at New York Toy fair 2018, let's take a quick look at this little guy after the break...

Sunday, February 18, 2018

There is no bigger property/franchise in geekdom right now than the Marvel Cinematic Universe or perhaps ever! One could make the argument that the MCU is more popular now than Star Wars was at the end of 1970’s heading into the 1980’s. Beyond that the MCU has served to make being a geek mainstream; it is now cool to wear an Iron Man or Thor shirt were as before 2008 that would not have been the case. With the popularity of this franchise comes what some on the Internet would call a free pass from critics, and fan boys/girls alike. Often you see film’s like Ant-Man which was a good movie catapulted into great movie status, leaving one to question if this were not a MCU film would anyone care? Over the past few months, and even since the characters debut in 2016’s Civil War the hype for Black Panther has grown to unprecedented levels with the film currently setting at a 97% on rotten tomatoes, making it the most critically well received superhero film of all time with the film slated for a $210 million dollar opening weekend which would break February box-office records by leaps and bounds. So is Black Panther just the latest passenger on the vibranium fueled MCU hype train or is it the transcendent film many claim it to be? Find out after the break…*Mild Spoilers for Black Panther follow!

Anytime I find a Hot Wheels Batman vehicle in their standard line that costs around $1 I have to pick it up. Interestingly enough, I found a variant of some sort just a week or two ago. I was out at my local Walgreen's checking out toys and I noticed a Hot Wheels display. Rummaging through it to see if I could find any new Batman vehicles I was rewarded with a cool grey version of the BvS Batmobile. I was pretty sure I hadn't bought this one yet but, upon getting it home, I discovered I not only had already purchased it but I also reviews it in December. Well, kind of; this version is a dull gunmetal grey while the previous version I reviewed is a very dark metallic blue. While the overall set numbers are different (this one is 237/365 while the blue version is 329/365), the subset numbers are both 1/5. Weird, huh? Anyways, here's a quick peek at the BvS Batmobile variant after the break...

Recently I found a great deal on a set of three classic Star Wars Micro Machines vehicles I did not own. I even found them in the package still! Today I'm checking out Collection XV from the 1998 release of Star Wars Micro Machines. 1998 was pretty much the last hurrah for classic Micro Machines as in 1999 things went completely into The Phantom Menace mode. While there were some great vehicles and sets released in the Episode I product line, it wasn't the classic Original Trilogy stuff that Galoob was so gosh darn good at. Of course, this set isn't based on the Original Trilogy, either. Not exactly, anyways. This set features vehicles from the 1997 Special Editions! How cool is that? While they've since been superseded by the 2004 DVD releases and the 2011 Blu-ray releases, the release of the 1997 Special Editions was such a huge event. I was in 7th grade when the Special Editions were released and, for me, it was my first chance to watch the films on the screen. There was a lot of merchandising support for the films which is why much of Galoob's 1998 new releases contained elements from those films. Let's check out Dash Rendar's Outrider and the V-35 Landspeeder from the Special Edition of A New Hope and the Tibanna Gas Refinery from The Empire Strikes Back after the break...

Saturday, February 17, 2018

For the past few years I've supplemented my 10 Favorite Toylines
and 10 Favorite Individual Toys with a list called Missing in Action.
The general premise of this list is to look at my list of last year's Top 10 Toylines and determine why some lines present then failed to
return on the current year's list. 2017's top 10 list had six toylines
returning from the 2016 list, meaning that four lines were dropped this
year. I do believe that's one of the highest retention rates for
toylines from one year to the next that I've had on my lists due to the
presence of longer running lines and continuing lines such as Star Wars: The
Black Series, the DC Collectible Designer Series, POP! Star Wars, Marvel
Legends, Super7's M.U.S.C.L.E. reboot, and Mattel's DC Multiverse
line. When looking at the lines that failed to show up again there are
typically three reasons why a line makes this list:

Missing in Action: This is a toyline that gets cancelled, ends, or just doesn't have any releases during the year.

Demoted:
Sometimes a toyline just gets outdone by others. This is less
reflective of the quality of the demoted line and more reflective of the
quality of the line that supplanted it.

Drop
in Quality: This is when a toyline has a severe drop in quality that
causes it to fall from grace. While most toylines get better as they go,
some do indeed get worse and worse due to cost cutting, mismanagement,
and quality control issues.

Let's take a look at the four lines that made the 2017 list after the break...

Today I'm checking out the second statue/ diorama from Hasbro's Star Wars: The Black Series Centerpiece line. I reviewed the Darth Vader Centerpiece statue a few days ago but, in case you missed that, the idea behind these small statues/ dioramas is that they are compatible with the 6 inch scaled Black Series figures. While Luke is mostly a statue, you can surround him with other Black Series figures such as Snowtroopers or the Wampa to create a scene for your display shelf. These were released on Force Friday 2017 and were met with a very lukewarm reception. I initially ignored these but after seeing them on sale at Best Buy a week or two ago I decided to snap them up. Luke is wearing his Snowspeeder pilot's outfit here, which makes this a version of the figure we have yet to see in the standard Black Series line. Let's take a closer look at Luke Skywalker after the break...

Friday, February 16, 2018

In the 84th edition of the Confirmed Epic Podcast Jerry "Barbecue17" Reed and The Reel Brad Bell review the latest DC home video release: Batman Gotham by Gaslight.We also get into what we have been checking out (Batgirl Bronze Age Omnibus, Marvel 2in1: Fate of the Four, Old Man Hawkeye #1) as well as discuss the epic news items of the week (Joaquin Phoenix possibly playing the Joker, A Michael Bay Lobo film, David S. Goyer leaving the Masters of the Universe film, and the Venom Poster/Trailer).

Let us know what you thought about the podcast in the comments below or follow and tweet us @thereelbradbell